Paint brush storing sealable plastic bag

ABSTRACT

A readily openable, closable and sealable plastic bag provides an elongated pouch which enables a user to hang and store a wet paint brush therein for days--weeks if necessary. The mouth of the bag embodies quick separable and connectible top and bottom flaps. The top flap is provided with an elongated pliant male keying rib which snaps into a yieldable female keeper groove. When the rib is snapped into the groove the brush storing pouch is airtight. An eye fixed in one end of the bag permits hanging the bag on a fixed nail. This eye is provided with a brush hanging wire which has a hook to suspend the apertured end of the brush handle. The narrow rib-equipped-flap has a red marker strip bordering its free edge. Lift the &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;red&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; flap to open the bag and press the rib into the groove to close and seal the bag. The wet brush is preserved for ready re-use whenever necessary or desired.

[ 51 Sept. 12, 1972 United States Patent Switzer [5 PAINT BRUSH STORINGSEALABLE Primary Examiner-Joseph R. Leclair PLASTIC BAG AssistantExaminer-John M. Caskie Att0meyClarence A. OBrien and Harvey B. Jacobson[72] Inventor: James A. Switzer, 311 1/2 Oak St.,

Paris, 111. 61944 Sept. 28, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT A readily openable,closable and scalable plastic bag 22] Filed:

[21] Appl. No.: 75,830

provides an elongated pouch which enables a user to hang and store a wetpaint brush therein for days- [52]U.S.Cl..................................206/15.l,206/151 -weeks ifnecessary. The mouth of the bag em- [51] Int. 7/00 bodies quickseparable and connectible top and bot- .248/318, ll0;211/59, 113,211/66, 65; 150/3; 229/88; 206/152, 15.1 B,

tom 11a The top flap is provided with an elongated pliant male keyingrib which snaps into a yieldable [58] Field of Search ps.

15 A 4 B 73 R DIG. 3 mg 29 female keeper groove. When the rib is snappedinto the groove the brush storing pouch is airtight. An eye fixed in oneend of the bag permits hanging the bag on a fixed nail. This eye isprovided with a brush hanging wire which has a hook to suspend theapertured end of the brush handle. The narrow rib-equipped-flap has ared marker strip bordering its free edge. Lift the red [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,878,849 3/ 1959 Lingenfelter etal..206/D1G. 8 3,208,660 9/ 1965 Brleske.................206/D1G. 8 flap0 open the bag and press the rib into the grooveMommer...................150/3 X to close and seal the bag The wet brushis preserved B for ready re-use whenever necessary or desired 2,129,6549/1938 Demmis.................248/318 X 1,303,588 5/1919Peck......................248/1l0 X FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 5Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 547,359 10/1957Canada...............206/151.1B

PATENTEDSEP 12 I972 Fig./

James A. Swir l.\'l 'EXTOR.

PAINT BRUSH STORING SEALABLE PLASTIC BAG This invention relates broadlyto special receptacles and packages and has to do, more particularly,with a plastic paint brush, storing bag having a manually openable andclosable mouth characterized by overlapping flaps whose contactingsurfaces are provided with a pressure responsive pliant rib tentativelyfitting into an expansible and contractible groove. The rib, whensnapped into the mating groove, provides an airtight seal for the pouchportion of the bag.

Procedures for handling a wet paint brush during the interval of time itis not in active use vary. Depending upon the particular user, he mayfeel called upon to wash and clean the bristles of the brush, may placethe paint-laden brush in a bucket having an appropriate liquid cleanertherein or in some other manner according to his particular jobrequirements. In any event, the procedure which is followed when a wetbrush is temporarily set aside poses a problem and, as will behereinafter more clearly evident, an object of the present invention isto solve the problem in what is believed to be a unique manner and whichinvolves the use of a special brush storing bag, that is, a bag which inand of itself constitutes an innovation and which enables the userthereof to store and hang the wet brush in a convenient and ready-to-usemanner whether the brush is set aside over night or whether the userdesires to use the bag-enclosed-brush several days or several weekslater. It follows that the concept involves the adoption and use of aquick closable storing bag for a wet paint brush which is such inconstruction that it enables the user to quicklyinsert and hang thebrush in the pouch of the bag, seal the bag airtight, and preserve theready-to-use brush for use the next day, or if desired within a periodof weeks, as the case may be.

In carrying out the principles of the invention, a brush storing bag isoffered which is easy to open and close, permits the user to hang andsuspend the brushin the bag on a hook, and hang the stored brush and bagon an accessible wall-supported nail, hook or the like and so that thebrush remains ready for unhampered use.

Briefly the bag is of a shape and size that it provides a pouch in whichthe wet paint brush can be placed and preserved for subsequent usewithin a reasonable period of time. For best results the bristles of thepaintcoated brush are enclosed in a sheet plastic wrapper, that is, awrapper which can be conveniently cut from a suitable piece of sheetplastic and which is placed in position on the brush and held forremoval by a rubber band or the like. The bag is of elongatedenvelope-like form and, as suggested, provides an enclosing pouch forthe wrapped brush. More specifically, the bag comprises complementalfront and back walls permanently joined along one longitudinal side ofthe bag and pernianently joined at the respective transverse upper andlower ends of the bag. The remaining longitudinal edges of the two wallsof the bag, that is the edges opposite the integral side are providedwith overlapping top and bottom flaps. These flaps define an openableand closable mouth. The mouth permits the user to insert and remove thebrush at will. The opposed overlapping interior faces of the flaps areadapted to be fastened and optionally closed. To the ends desired, thefaces have quick connectible and separable fastening means which whenfastened close the entire mouth of the bag, seal the over-all pouch, andprevent the paint on the wrapped brush from drying out, whereby thewrapped brush is maintained in readiness for use when desired.

The improved bag is equipped with a grommet. This grommet is embedded inthe median portions of the front and back walls near the end of the bagand provides an accessible eye which is designed and adapted to enablethe bag to be hung or suspended in position from a relatively stationarysuitably supported nail or the like.

Another feature of theinvention pertains to the utilization of a lengthof bendable or malleable wire. One end of the wire is looped around thegrommet between the aforementioned walls and the other end is fashionedinto an enclosed hook which can. be passed through an opening in thebrush handle so that the brush can be hung and stored in theaforementioned pouch.

In addition to the stated features the fastening means is novel. This isto say, one surface of one flap of the mouth portion is provided with afemale expansible and contractible groove. This provides a keeper for acompanion pliant retaining rib. This rib is provided on the interiorsurface of the narrower flap of the mouth portion and the rib is snappedor pressed into the groove and the flaps are closed and the bag remainsairtight.

- Further, novelty has to do with the utilization along the lengthwisefree edge of the narrow flap of a marker band or strip. This easy-to-seestrip enables the user to find the openable and closable edge with lessdifficulty and enables the user to merely lift the red marker strip toopen the bag and also to use it as a guide to facilitate lining up therib with the groove when closing and sealing the mouth of the bag.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view on perspective of a paint brush storing sealableplastic bag constructed in accordance with the principles of theinvention and showing the manner in which the wrapped brush is insertedand hung in the pouch and how the sealable closure means is brought intoplay to render the bag airtight.

FIG. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view taken approximately onthe plane of the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 looking in the direction of theindicating arrows.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section on the horizontal line 33 of Fig. 2.

The elongated substantially rectangular enclosing, storing andprotecting bag for the paint brush 6 is denoted by the numeral 8. Thelongitudinal side to the left as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is closed. Thisis to say the front wall 10 and back wall 12 have their longitudinaledges integrally joined as at 14. The upper transverse edges providingthe upper end of the bag are heat-sealed or otherwise joined together asat 16. The lower transverse edges are also heat sealed and similarlyjoined as at 18. The side or edge opposite the longitudinal side 14provides the aforementioned openable and closable month by way of whichthe brush 6 is inserted and removed. This mouth is denoted generally bythe numeral 20. More specifically it comprises a comparatively wideelongated flap 22 and a relatively narrow companion flap 24. The freelongitu dinal edge portion 26 is spaced from the parallel free edge 28and the edge 26 is provided with a colored marker or indicating band orstrip which is denoted at 30. This strip is coextensive with the edge26. By utilizing a narrow flap 24 and providing it with a delineatingand marked edge experience has shown that it is easy to obtain access tothe flaps and to separate the same for opening the bag. The means forfastening the flaps is designated as quick connectible and separablemeans 32. It comprises an elongated male rib 34 which is pliant andwhich is coextensive with and is adapted to snap into an expansible andcontractible keeper groove 36. This type of a fastening is not in and ofitself new and is used in other plastic products. Here it will be notedthat it well serves the purposes for which it is intended and that it islocated in spaced parallelism with respect to the marked edge 26 of thenarrow flap 24. Hereagain the marking lip assists in lining up thedetent or rib 34 with the groove 36 to facilitate the step of pressingthe rib into the groove and closing the flaps in a seeminglyself-evident manner.

When and before inserting the brush 6 into the airtight pouch of the bagit is desirable to wrap the bristles 38 of the brush. This isaccomplished by using a simple cut-out piece of sheet plastic such as isdenoted at 40. The plastic is merely wrapped around the head of thebrush and encloses the bristles and a rubber band or the like 42 isplaced in position to hold the wrapper in place. The wrapped brush canthen be inserted and removed by way of the openable and closable mouthof the bag. It should be noted that the handle portion of the brush isdenoted at 44 and is provided at the upper end with the usual nailhole-46 which is customarily employed for hanging up the brush on anail, hook or the like when the brush is set aside.

In keeping with the principlesof the present invention the medianportions of the walls of the top of the bag are secured together by anembedded grommet 48 which provides an eye and by way of which the bagcan be hung up on a nail or the like 50 shown in dotted lines. It shouldbe noted too that a bendable short length of malleable wire 52 isprovided and this has a looped portion 54 which is sandwiched betweenthe plies of plastic and is wrapped around the grommet and anchored inplace. A free end of the wire is fashioned into an appropriate hook 56on which the apertured end of the brush handle can be hung in the mannerillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. Thus the brush is not only placed in thebag, it is also hung or suspended in the pouch portion of the bag andthe bag in turn is hung on a support nail or the like 50. It followsthat the procedural steps of inserting, removing and sealing the brushare unique and that when the disclosed bag is properly used itadequately fulfills the specific purposes for which it has been evolvedand perfected for use.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown and wetpaint brush and preserve the same ready for use the next following dayor, if desired, within a reasonable time period of 5 or 6 weeks, a quickclosable airtight brush storing device comprising an envelope-like bagproviding an enclosing pouch for said brush and having complementalfront and back walls permanently joined along one longitudinal side andpermanently joined at their respective transverse ends, the remaininglongitudinal edges of the walls opposite said longitudinal side beingprovided with overlapping top and bottom flaps defining an openable andclosable mouth for said bag, said mouth permitting the user to insertand remove the brush at will, the opposed overlapping interior faces ofsaid flaps being adapted to be fastened and optionally closed, saidfaces having quick connectible and separable fastening means which whenfastened closes the entire mouth of the bag, seals the over all pouch,prevents the paint brush from drying out, and maintains it in readinessfor use when desired, and, in combination, retaining means carried byand provided interiorly at one end of said bag for detachably connectingthe customarily apertured end of the brush handle to said bag, wherebyto facilitate retaining the brush in its stored position in the pouchportion of said bag, said bag being provided at said one end with agrommet, said grommet providing an accessible eye which is designed andadapted to hang the bag in a suspended position from a relativelystationary suitably supported bag hanging nail or the like, theaforementioned retaining means comprising a flexible element having afirst end portion encircling and connected to said grommet and a secondend portion which is formed with a hook passed through the aperture inthe brush handle in a manner to hang the brush in said bag after the baghas been conveniently and accessibly hung on said nail.

2. The airtight brush storing device defined in and according to claim1, and wherein said bag is elongated and substantially rectangular inplan and made of transparent sheet plastic material, said material beingtransparent, whereby the paint brush and the aforementioned retainingmeans is viewable to an observer.

3. The brush storing device defined in claim 1, and wherein said quickconnectible and separable means comprises an elongated snap type keyingrib which is formed integrally with a coacting lengthwise interiorsurface of one flap, and a rib-receiving groove which is formed as anintegral part of the opposed interior surface of the other flap, saidkeying rib being cooperatively alignable with said groove andcommensurate in length and cross-section with said groove, said ribproviding a male-type detent and said groove being yieldingly expansibleand contractible and providing a female-type receiver and keeper forsaid rib, whereby said rib in conjunction with said keeper grooveconstitute a manually openable and closable zipper-like airtight bagcloser.

4. The brush storing device defined in and according to claim 3, andwherein said overlapping top flap is of a width less than the width ofthe underlying bottom flap and has a free marginal edge which is spacedinwardly from the adjacent free marginal edge of the bottom flap and isprovided with a distinctively colored, red for example, longitudinaledge-indicating marker strip, said marker strip serving to clearlydelineate and mark the oriented marginal edge in a manner to assist auser in closing said fastening means and subsequently locating andopening said fastening means.

5. An elongated storage bag for storing a wet paint brush, said baghaving complemental front and back walls and peripherally extendingmarginal portions, one of said marginal portions being open forinsertion of a brush into said bag and provided with releasable meansfor closing said one marginal portion, the other marginal portions ofsaid bag being closed, one of said other marginal portions of said bag,at one end of the latter, including a grommet secured through said frontand back walls, said grommet providing an accessible eye which isdesigned and adapted to hang the bag in a suspended position from arelatively stationary suitablysupported bag hanging nail or the like,and an elongated hook member within said bag having one end encirclingsaid grommet and hook means on its other end for engagement with theconventional aperture in the handle of a paint brush in order to supportthe paint brush within the bag from the hook member.

1. For use when one desires to retentively enclose a wet paint brush and preserve the same ready for use the next following day or, if desired, within a reasonable time period of 5 or 6 weeks, a quick closable airtight brush storing device comprising an envelope-like bag providing an enclosing pouch for said brush and having complemental front and back walls permanently joined along one longitudinal side and permanently joined at their respective transverse ends, the remaining longitudinal edges of the walls opposite said longitudinal side being provided with overlapping top and bottom flaps defining an openable and closable mouth for said bag, said mouth permitting the user to insert and remove the brush at will, the opposed overlapping interior faces of said flaps being adapted to be fastened and optionally closed, said faces having quick connectible and separable fastening means which when fastened closes the entire mouth of the bag, seals the over all pouch, prevents the paint brush from drying out, and maintains it in readiness for use when desired, and, in combination, retaining means carried by and provided interiorly at one end of said bag for detachably connecting the customarily apertured end of the brush handle to said bag, whereby to facilitate retaining the brush in its stored position in the pouch portion of said bag, said bag being provided at said one end with a grommet, said grommet providing an accessible eye which is designed and adapted to hang the bag in a suspended position from a relatively stationary suitably supported bag hanging nail or the like, the aforementioned retaining means comprising a flexible element having a first end portion encircling and connected to said grommet and a second end portion which is formed with a hook passed through the aperture in the brush handle in a manner to hang the brush in said bag after the bag has been conveniently and accessibly hung on said nail.
 2. The airtight brush storing device defined in and according to claim 1, and wherein said bag is elongated and substantially rectangular in plan and made of transparent sheet plastic material, said material being transparent, whereby the paint brush and the aforementioned retaining means is viewable to an observer.
 3. The brush storing device defined in claim 1, and wherein said quick connectible and separable means comprises an elongated snap type keying rib which is formed integrally with a coacting lengthwise interior surface of one flap, and a rib-receiving groove which is formed as an integral part of the opposed interior surface of the other flap, said keying rib being cooperatively alignable with said groove and commensurate in length and cross-section with said groove, said rib providing a male-type detent and said groove being yieldingly expansible and contractible and providing a female-type receiver and keeper for said rib, whereby said rib in conjunction with said keeper groove constitute a manually openable and closable zipper-like airtight bag closer.
 4. The brush storing device defined in and according to claim 3, and wherein said overlapping top flap is of a width less than the width of the underlying bottom flap and has a free marginal edge which is spaced inwardly from the adjacent free marginal edge of the bottom flap and is provided with a distinctively colored, red for example, longitudinal edge-indicating marker strip, said marker strip serving to clearly delineate and mark the oriented marginal edge in a manner to assist a user in closing said fastening means and subsequently locating and opening said fastening means.
 5. An elongated storage bag for storing a wet paint brush, said bag having complemental front and back walls and peripherally extending marginal portions, one of said marginal portions being open for insertion of a brush into said bag and provided with releasable means for closing said one marginal portion, the other marginal portions of said bag being closed, one of said other marginal portions of said bag, at one end of the latter, including a grommet secured through said front and back walls, said grommet providing an accessible eye which is designed and adapted to hang the bag in a suspended position from a relatively stationary suitably supported bag hanging nail or the like, and an elongated hook member within said bag having one end encircling said grommet and hook means on its other end for engagement with the conventional aperture in the handle of a paint brush in order to support the paint brush within the bag from the hook member. 